Clasico de Mexico takes over Houston
(image via Ricky Vega)
For many of us who love club football, FIFA international breaks can feel a bit depressing, as we have to wait an extra week or two to see our favorite teams play again. Fortunately for the thousands of Club América and Chivas de Guadalajara fans living in Texas and other parts of the United States, they had the chance to see their teams up close.
NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, served as the stage for a “friendly” match between these two familiar rivals. It’s hard to label this encounter as a friendly, given the intense rivalry on display, which was reflected in the six yellow cards and one red card issued during the match.
On Sunday afternoon, the game itself felt almost secondary to the vibrant atmosphere created by over 54,000 fans in attendance—54,117, to be exact. As the Spanish saying goes, “Goles Son Amores” (“Goals Are Love”), and when the Águilas scored twice in the first half, the stadium erupted with cheers, as scarves, personalized flags, and yellow jerseys waved in the air.
Club América’s main supporter group, La Monumental, was on one side, while La Irreverente, Chivas de Guadalajara’s main supporter group, filled the other. Both groups brought color and energy to the match, featuring impressive tifos. Chivas showcased a giant banner claiming their status as the most popular club in Mexico, which read “La Historia No Miente - Chivas Naciste Grande” (“History Doesn’t Lie - Chivas You Were Born Great”). The Americanistas responded with several banners, including a giant eagle—symbolizing their nickname, “Las Águilas”—and a Super Saiyan figure in an América jersey holding trophies, accompanied by the mocking phrase “INSECTO!!!” (“Insect”). Another banner declared, “Somos Bicampeones y tú no” (“We are two-time champions, and you are not”), emphasizing América’s back-to-back league titles, a feat Chivas has not achieved in recent history.
Chivas attempted a giant tifo, but it became somewhat tangled as it was raised, preventing a full display. As it was being lowered, red and white smoke bombs filled NRG Stadium, temporarily obscuring the view. In a seemingly coordinated response, América fans released yellow smoke bombs, creating a dramatic visual clash reminiscent of a Dragon Ball Z battle, with colors colliding in the air.
This match set a record for the largest attendance at a game between two Mexican clubs in Texas. Just the night before, Tigres and Rayados played in San Antonio, attracting 21,102 fans. It’s impressive to see Houston recognized as a great soccer city, especially given that this attendance more than doubled that of the Monterrey rivalry, “El Clásico Regio.”
Houston continues to prove itself as one of the top destinations for soccer in the United States. The fact that the Clásico de México in Houston was one of the largest Liga MX match attendances in the U.S. and Mexico in 2024 is astonishing but not surprising. My experiences attending various international matches have solidified my belief: Houston is the soccer capital of Texas.
